Disclaimer: This is my blog and the opinions and views belong to me. All images are found on the internet and are believed to be part of public domain. All images posted are believed to be posted within my rights according to the U.S. Copyright Fair Use Act (title 17, U.S. Code.) if credit for image is available, it will be posted with the associated photo. If you own the right to an image and would like for it to be removed please email tb.3296@gmail.com and it will be removed promptly. – Travis

Life Lessons

A while back on my Instagram (@_thet_) I posted a poll asking, “Are you living your best life? If you are why do you think that and if not why aren’t you?” With that question, I just wanted to know from my followers if they were or not and to do a small bit of research.

The majority, of young African Americans, believe that they are not living their best life due to a multitude of things finances, post-grad life, or simply not doing what they want to do in life and not knowing how to start!

I did not solely piece that together with my small poll, but from situations, I have been in within my life. On the flip side other young African Americans believe they are from their current situation that could be considered stagnant or they are just simply comfortable. The question that I will always have though is, can you ever live your best life if you are always growing and developing in life? My answer is in the recording below! Gif by Giphy!

It is around that time and spring semester is about to start for you or has already started. Now, unless you have it to where you pay cash for school more than likely you are utilizing financial aid. With that being said it can be quite confusing and by looking at it can be quite threatening but per usual I am here to help.

So for the new year, I am trying something new so stick with me on it and give me some feedback on it! I will be doing a small podcast on each blog post the recording won’t be too long unless its a topic that I have to give my opinion on. But nonetheless, I will be speaking on financial aid and my tips for it. Such as not lying on the actual form (FASFA), utilizing your school’s financial aid counselor, and using last years tax return to file.

2018 has arrived and now it is time for the first lesson! Since we are in a New Year things are beginning to reset and things are beginning to be given such as clout….but first let me ask you some questions:

Are you the person who gets invited out everywhere no matter the time or day? Are you the one people try to plan around? Are you the one where folks always come for advice? Are you the person who at times is the center of attention or folks just wanna see you just to see you? I could ask questions all day but if you answered yes to any of these questions you ma’am or sir hold some clout! Congratulations!

Are you the person who tries to post things on Instagram that you know will gain attention even though no one cares? Are you the one person who tries their hardest to outshine others for no reason? Are you the one begging to be the center of attention even though there isn’t time for it or no is checking for you? Are you just always being extra and acting as if you do so much when you do……nothing at all? Once again I could ask you questions like this all day but if you answered yes to any of these questions you ma’am or sir you are begging for clout and you need to STOP!

If you do not know what clout means let me give you the Urban Dictionary definition along with the Dictionary definition:

With those definitions you now understand right? Clout is a social thing it is almost how everyone perceives you and how influential you are. Here’s an example, Oprah has major clout if she says jump the world around her will ask, “how high?”. But why? In simple terms, she is Oprah and Oprah has put in major work to get to that point. Plus the world perceives her in a very positive way! So why not do something for a kind person who just might pay you a bunch of money and give you some amazing advice? God knows I would.

Now, what if she was a very negative, hateful, and a sneaky woman? You probably wouldn’t do anything for her right? Right. Having clout is a social thing that only you can control! If you live your life and strive for greatness and do right by the ones that do right by you clout is going to follow you and grow for you. The ones that try to grab clout off of things such as being the loudest person in the room or the one with “nicest” clothing have zero clout in real life so they want you to give it to them by visual aesthetics. Not by who they truly are which probably isn’t the best person and those are clout beggers.

For myself, I have been told that I hold clout because I can answer yes to every single one of those questions…the first set of questions that is. Now, I am not trying to brag so do not take it as such but the reason that I hold it is that I have always been myself, positive, and lived what in my mind is my best life even though I have my ups and downs. Folks take note of it and want to know what I do, how I did it, and what is next. POSITIVE VIBES BRING POSITIVE VIBES AND THOSE VIBES BRING MAJOR CLOUT!!! So live on folks and live your best life

As my parents would say to engage with a professional to potentially acquire a job was quite difficult from my understanding. It was more of a “give me a hook up” type stage. Traditionally, you would have to write cover letters and resumes (which at times you still have to) but currently, you have websites like LinkedIn that can surpass you through that process. With the correct social media engagement, it could potentially land you a job. Engaging in social media can either make your career or break your career essentially. As an example, Instagram the platform itself is quite simple which is posting a picture and moving along the day. If used properly, you can acquire a job by possibly showcasing a profitable skill. Such as for myself I want to have a career within social media so a company may realize that I am very engaging with social media and others who use and want to hire me to handle their companies social accounts.

1. Have A Separate Accounts (Personal & Business) – Your future employer does not care about you walking your dog every morning or what you wore to the latest party. They only thing they want to know is what you are skillful in that will benefit them. Separate that professional life (account) from your personal life (account). It’s almost like a virtual business card. Bonus tip: Use your personal account to promote your business account!

2. Use Proper Grammar! – There is nothing worse then reading an amazing post and you begin to notice simple grammar errors that could’ve been corrected if a proofread was actually done. Of course, you can delete it but if you do not catch it immediately your potential employer or a potential business opportunity could pass you by due to being a tad bit illiterate.

3. Attempt to Stay Out Of Political Arguments: I know it sounds as if you cannot speak your mind but at times an employer may not agree with your political views. Along with that the media if you are a prominent figure within your company/career can twist your words and make it seem as though your company agrees wholeheartedly with your views and could put them in a jeopardizing situation. Unless what you are doing employment ties in with giving your opinion try not to do it. Even on your personal account try not to do it because it can be tracked. Do not argue in general!

4. Leave Personal Issues…Personal: Your personal life should not be in the mainstream of social media. Well, at least the negative stuff you should not post. If you are having personal issues with someone it should not be blasted online no matter what. Positive vibes only even on your social media outlets. Do not let negative things steer you in a negative direction.

Overall, be professional with your social media. There is nothing wrong with letting your life touch on your professional life as long as it UPLIFTS it rather than hurt it. Social media can either make you or break you. View it as the modern day resume.

Now, from the title, you are probably thinking this is going to be about dating or something in that area….WELL, IT IS NOT! This is simply about you doing what you want to do and improving yourself. Back in the day, I was a Captain Save-A-Hoe but due to my mother fussing at me and telling me to enjoy my young years I have now evolved into someone who is doing them and being their true self. If you are still confused you will understand after reading this!

Being a Captain Save-A-Hoe in this context means you attempt to satisfy everyone or a certain someone to a point where you suppress yourself or you try to help everyone or a certain someone to a point where you don’t have time for yourself or the things you truly love. Now, that you have my definition I can openly admit to you again that I use to help and try to satisfy everyone. Why is that? The main reason why would be that I did not like when folks were mad at me or had a negative emotion. So I began to start SAVING….and Mama wasn’t having it. She knew at a young age that I was going to be this helpful citizen but not to the point where I would suppress myself and try to make that person better while hurting myself. You are either reading this to know how to stop being one or how to not to become one well here is how:

Allowing yourself to be comfortable in the things you love!

At one point I would think that if I indulge myself in the things that I love while I am supposed to be doing something that someone else loved I was being selfish! Dumb right? I know. What you like is what you like and you do not have to make an excuse to anyone about it. You’ll always have those friends that want to bring you to every single thing that they go to and take you away from your alone time or something that you want to do. If your thing is sitting in your underwear drinking strawberry milk while reading the latest erotica book….THAT IS YOU AND YOU NEED TO ENJOY THAT! Yea, it is cool doing stuff but what about the stuff you like to do. “You can’t be everywhere and be with everybody.” – My Mother

You have one life to live and this is not the Sims game where you can control someone else life. Be who you are and do not apologize for it. But as a disclaimer, this does not give you the right to be a totally negative person to someone just because you believe that is who you are…you just need to seek some help and let go of some bitterness. I digress, back to my main point you can’t suppress yourself for someone to feel better for themselves. There is nothing wrong with making someone feel better about themselves but you shall not stop your blessings because someone says, “you do the most.” If not that phrase they use something that makes you want to be on the same level as them. If it becomes a problem that you are successful and they are at the point in their life that they are not and they began to act funny around towards you….they were never your friends and you need to find some new friends. Be your wonderful self and press on with life!

It is a pretty simple concept to understand, right? Right. At the end of the day if you skipped to the bottom of this post just to see the conclusion here it is. Be who you are and do not apologize for it. You need personal time like anyone else. Do not and I repeat do not put yourself down to try to lift someone else up. You are blessed in many ways and you need to continue to walk in those blessings.

Yes, I am at the young age of 21 but I have something that most folks within my age group do not have which is….GOOD CREDIT!!! From what I have been told within my age group we either have bad credit (580 and under) or no credit at all, which is a bad thing but I am here to help y’all either start your credit right or to fix it from what I have done and learned through the years! “You wanna know what’s more important than throwin’ away money at a strip club? Credit.” – Jay-Z (The Story of O.J.)

So….boom when I was ready to start my journey into this world known as credit I didn’t know much about it because I was only 18 years old! Here it is:

Start with a small personal loan. My parents began to talk to me about building my credit and the possible things that I could do so we began to weigh my options either start me out with a credit card or get a small personal loan through the credit union I have been with. So what option did we go with? The personal loan which was only $500 so my payments were about $50 a month. Nothing too major and something that I could handle since I was only working at Chick-Fil-A at the time and just starting my journey in the military. SO PLEASE HAVE A STABLE JOB!!! The financial institution you will be borrowing from will want their cash and then some.

Pay it off or get another loan? Get another loan at a bigger amount. Call me crazy but it’s going to make sense in just a second. I was eager to pay off the full $500 with some interest….GREAT!!! In that state of excitement telling my parents, they turned around and told me “Time to get another Travis just a tad bit bigger.” Now, I was confused why do I need to keep continuing this constant pay out of my hard earned money? Here is why your credit is forever growing so you need to keep something revolving which is more than likely going to be something payment wise. At least do it until you get to that amazing credit score which is about 700 and above.

Note: CreditKarma.com is one place that is free where you can check your credit score. Even though most banks pull a FICO score. What is FICO? “FICO looks at a range of credit information and uses that to create scores that help lenders predict consumer behavior, such as how likely someone is to pay their bills on time (or not), or whether they are able to handle a larger credit line.” – Credit.com

Make those payments! I am currently still paying my second loan off ($1000) but once again I am getting to that point where I either get another loan or just pay this loan off as a whole. I am leaning towards paying it off as a whole because I now have a credit card but I will get to that in just a second! Your credit score is nothing but a score of how responsible you are with your finances. “But Travis with all of this talk…why is credit so important?” Is the question you are probably asking here is why, “it helps you to get the things you need now, like a loan for a car or a credit card, based on your promise to pay later.” – MyGreatLakes.org

Having My First Credit Card! To some people, this is taboo for a college student because sometimes we can get a tad bit out of hand when it comes to a credit card. However, this will not be you! As always my parents were assisting me with my credit card search but one day over the summer I took the search into my own hands. I sat down with myself and figured out which option was best for me and showed my parents. I had my first pick which was with my primary bank and my second choice is my credit union. Now, it was time for me to visit these financial institutions and apply. With a slight nervous spirit, I went into my first choice bank and applied and chose which card I wanted. I applied and my credit was checked and I was complimented on my score and was also within the range to be approved. However……I was:Low-key I had the shame face and was heavily confused but had an understanding of my denial one big reason was that I did not have any type of revolving credit (will inform in a second) along with I did not have enough things that could build up my credit enough for my bank to be like “oh yeah here you go, Travis!” So walking out with no paper work I dawned on what the lady in that office said to me “Since we know that you are with a credit union try them because a majority of them are more lenient when it comes to credit cards.” Which was my second choice! So I raced down to my credit union which was less than ten miles away and ran inside before my shift at work started. I ran through the same application process and chose which card I wanted….and after a while I was:

With a really good interest rate and a $500 credit limit! Pretty simple and low which it should be starting out! With newly found plastic responsibility I have to properly use the credit card. Which simply means….NO RANDOM SWIPING!!! Even though my first purchase was a pair of Nike Uptempo ’96 sneakers. It was a small reward that will be paid back by the end of this month. If you can folks try not to carry a balance there is nothing wrong with it but if you can pay it off by the end of that month…DO IT.

So that is my journey summed up! Here are some things that you need to know though about credit and how to build it:

The most common types of credit would be:

Installment loans: A set amount of funds loaned to you for a specific purpose. Examples: Student loans or auto loans

Revolving Credit: Line of credit you can keep after you pay it off. Purchases are still able to be made as long as the balance stays under that limit. (i.e my $500 limit) Having a credit card is the most common type of revolving credit.

Interest rates are the cost of borrowing the money.

The majority of places that offer credit cards will give you different choices of cards that may have special benefits pick which one best fits your life.

A Fair Isaac’s FICO score is the most commonly used credit scoring formula.

Ranges from 300 (low) to 850 (high)

Higher the score the better.

Your score can vary between the agencies.

Hard inquiries are when a creditor accesses your score and credit report. A high number of these shows potential creditors that you are trying to open up more than one line of credit and they can possibly deny you from loaning you money.

Soft inquiries are when your credit report is looked at when you are not trying to open a new credit line. Examples: Accessing your own credit report or landlords running a credit check.

What can cause bad credit?

Collections

Foreclosures

Bankruptcies (Stays on credit report for 10 years)

Late payments

Good Credit Tips

Avoiding too many credit inquiries within a short amount of time.

Check your credit score often.

Low balances on credit cards

Source: Citi®

Yes, this is a lot for you but just take your time with your credit journey and read while understanding of what is going on with your journey. Bad credit can become good and new credit can become good also so whatever is going on with you just know there is a positive outcome! PAY WHO YOU NEED TO PAY ON TIME!!!!

I SPOKE ON IT!!!!

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You may feel as though the day gets away from you and you aren’t accomplishing anything which is…..OK! Many people do but are you truly planning for your life or just planning for the day? Here is what I mean:

Planning for the day: Going to work and going out with not much thought of what you are going to do in the future in the terms of career, life, or anything that will bring you to that next level of life. If it is finically or just overall happiness.

Planning for Life: Living your daily life with goals that you are trying to reach that will bring you to that next level. You’re writing them down in places to remind you daily. You are setting up things that will benefit you in the long term!

Currently, this may be you!

Simple right? Right. You are probably asking, “Travis, how do I plan accordingly?” In the simplest way…SET YOURSELF UP FOR THE FUTURE!! Invest in something that will pay you back in the long run. Get that extra bit of education to get that promotion at your job. Start that small business that you’ve wanted to start. Just start planning for the bigger picture of life! If you have your own business already start doing everything and anything that deals with that business….dive into it. Don’t do what you believe you can and stick to that ground level. I am tired of hearing and seeing people who aren’t planning accordingly and are at a constant stand still with life. Never get comfortable!

Yes, enjoy the moment but when it is all said and done plan for the next step. Here is an example that is personal to me on both ends:

Me planning for the day: Before graduating from high school I did not know what I was going to do for college! All of my friends knew but me….I applied for one school and that was my dream school. I applied and the day decision was given out I was…..denied. I was being lazy and counter productive that I did not know what to do so I planned for that day, not for my life. But thank God my parents were planning for my life now I am at a school that I love and would have wished I considered a long time ago!

Me planning for life: Going into my senior year of college I already know what graduate school I want to attend and working to make sure that I am undeniable. I know the budget I want to be on for my first apartment! I know where I want my brand (#TravisSpeaks & 3>2.96) to be out in the future. Lowkey, I know where I want my Ph.D. and figuring out the requirements for that. I know where I want to be at organizational (ΑΚΨ & ΩΨΦ) wise when it comes to holding a national position within the organizations! But like always my parents are still helping me plan.

Prepare yourself to have one of these moments.

Take your time and sit down with yourself and say to yourself, “What is next for me?” Let the thoughts flow and write them down. Figure out your goals and begin to PLAN the steps it takes to get to that goal. It could all be so simple! If you need some help ask someone who you think that knows best or….ASK ME!!! Email me at tb.3296@gmail.com or DM on IG @_thet_! I will be happy to help. It is always the season for improvements! So start improving but stay patient. It takes time to get into the new groove of improvement. God knows it was hard for me at some points because you either feel defeated or still nothing is happening. Like I said before what you are doing is not for the moment it is for the long run. Like a savings account for life, it is not needed at that moment but you will need it in the future!

Quick Scenario: You planned a day with your friends that you haven’t seen in a while! Cool right? Right. You put on your outfit, look at the menu of the restaurant, and do all the prep work to get ready for this iconic social day! Until….the dreaded text messages roll in of the cancellations from your friends:

SO WHAT DO YOU DO?!?! Go ahead and go with the plans and go alone or stay at home?

Well, I am going to tell you what you are going to do! GO OUT AND ENJOY THIS SELDOM ALONE TIME YOU HAVE!!! In my head, I have mastered the art of going out alone not in the sense of being “anti-social”. Just in the simple sense of I want to enjoy my day alone and be on my own time! A majority, of people, haven’t tried it and maybe you haven’t but there is nothing wrong with that because I am here to help you! So let’s gear up and grab our wallets to start our journey!

So boom……you’re alone with the plans that were set and are already dressed so what is next?

First, make sure you have prepped your daily life for this outing when it comes to gas in your car, money in your account, didn’t have to go to work, and all bills are paid. Nothing worst than going somewhere and you have absolutely no type of funds to do anything! Yes, it has happened to me before! Bonus tip: Set a budget for your outing no matter what you’re doing. If you’re just eating set a price for that ticket. If you are shopping set that amount you will not surpass. If you are going to a museum set how much you want to pay in there or go somewhere free!

Next, try to find a location that peaks your interest if not an area where there is a lot to do. For example, my favorite type of place or area would be anything dealing with either fashion or art with a nice food spot that is in walking distance. Where you go can be brand new to you or a somewhere you have already peeped and wanted to know more about or somewhere you know very well. Just make sure you’re in a safe place!

Lastly, head out!Drive your well-prepared self to your place of interest! Once you get to that location sit down and relax and just think about life and enjoy the views and pictures that you are going to take! Let all positive vibes in and give them back! You’ll be at the height of your relaxation meter once you get out of the mindset that you need someone to sit across from you or walk with you.

Shop & Eat

Seems so simple right?It is.So hard to do though right?It is for the first time. Reason being you do not want anyone to label you as “funny acting” or “being too cute to hang with others” or your mind may be skewed to think that you always have to be with someone to have fun. How do I know this? I have friends who have thought like this along with myself for a short period of time but you do it once you almost can’t stop!

Next, you’ll see yourself spending 1 to 2 hours alone to spending an entire day alone and not walking back in the house until 12 AM of the next day. How does Travis know this? I have gone out at 9 AM ate breakfast and came back home at 12 AM with three to-go boxes and a small shopping bag (balling on a budget) with my calfs looking amazing! Going out alone does not make you weird not even a little bit!

So get up folks and enjoy a day without bae (if you have one), without friends, and without your pet (if you have one)! Life is too short for you to think that you have to depend on all of your fun time into an individual or group. Maybe you and I will cross alone day paths!

It has happened to all of us in some way, shape or form! Even for this blogger, it has happened and at times still, does. Being fearful of your goals when you get to them or working towards them. It is not a negative thing it is just you being a tad bit self-conscious in a goal abiding way. Just follow me! You’ll understand by the end of this.

The Problem!

You: Well….what is my problem, Travis?

Me: Well….I’ll tell you because I gots love for you!

If you are in a panic state….CALM DOWN!!!! It is a problem many people face if not all. The problem is not you can’t accomplish your goals the problem could be one or more of these components:

Lack of motivation: Which can happen all the time or from time to time! “I don’t wanna!”

Fear of completion: That you’ll work and nothing will come out of it

Getting to the goal and not know what to do next: Yay you did it! But what is next?

Not understanding your goal: Do you know what is going on?

Those are some of the main goal fearing components that I see in this day and age along with my GENERATION! Those negative components go with all goals not just those big goals of a promotion at work or improvements of your finances. It could be anything such as you wanting to gain some weight (me) or creating/furthering your small business. Goals are goals no matter how big or small some are easily accomplished while others aren’t and that is just how it is! Just do not and I repeat do not fear those goals be prepared for those goals and grow/accomplish those goals folks! So with every problem, there is a solution so let’s get to those!

Problem Solving!

You: So what is my solution to my problem?

Me: Now, you are asking the real questions! You hold the solution I am just going to bring it out of you.

Since you’re calm now we can now figure out what to do about our goal fears! It’ll be hard at first but I have total confidence in you. So with those four I gave a few words ago here is the solution to them:

Find what truly motivates you: Maybe it’s the money or the passion that you have for that goal. Use that energy of DREAMING to DOING!

Work is work: You may think that work is in vein but little do you know you probably done set yourself up for something bigger and better.

Let’s not think of what is next: Let’s think about how you are going to grow that goal once you accomplish it! Completion = A Seed!

Understanding what it takes: All goals have a process you need to understand your process and ADJUST!

After reading this you have no excuse for being fearful of your goals! Goals are positive and not negative! It may take some time to achieve a goal but you can accomplish it. No goal is too big nor too small! Your goals are your goals and no one else’s only you can achieve em!

If you know me well you know that I’m in the military! It’s my pleasure to serve you just in case you were saying in your head, “Thank you for service.” As you already know the military deploys from time to time and I went on one…..to where you ask? The wonderful state of Montana of course! With my military uniform in my bag, I had to figure out what I was going to wear on our downtime (which we had a lot of)…..now the old me would have packed about 20 different outfits with 40 pairs of shoes. But I have grown up! So what did I do? I packed three outfits………….yes……only three. Crazy right? Not really! Listen to me folks…..when you travel only pack for what you know you are going to do!

I know I was going to be lounging around a lot so I brought primarily lounge around clothing…THAT CAN BE WORN WHEN GOING OUT JUST IN CASE I DID NOT WANT TO PUT ON ANYTHING “FANCY”!!!Versatility is the key here folks! Really, with three outfits you have 27…..here is the math. Three shirts, three pairs of pants, and three pairs of sneakers 3 multiplied by 3 multiplied by 3. Combinations folks! Here are the outfits:

#1 Loose As A Goose

#2 Feels A Little Tight

#3 Oh He’s A Que!

Now, do not get me, wrong folks, I am not saying you can’t bring a little bit of extra clothing with you like an extra pair of pants and shirt but no need to overload! One thing that I do when I travel if it is not dealing with the military I pack at least 3 to 4 full really nice outfits and wear another outfit on the way to my destination….which means I just plus my outfit arsenal by 1!

So what is my point exactly? With limited clothing at home or on a trip if you know how to mix and match what you have you’ve beaten a constant style challenge that some of the most fashionable continue to fight and at times can’t figure out! It’s a pretty simple message I know but some just don’t understand. Something that I have been preaching for years is that fashion is simply the clothing! The style is internal! Do not let the covers of these magazines, runways, and celeb fashion define you when it comes to style…..LET EM INSPIRE YOU!!!